A Storm Gathers
by WriteFF13
Summary: Lightning has awoken to a world full of mysteries, chaos, and a disturbing truth...the end of the world begins in just 13 days. As the minutes tick by, she takes on the weight of the new world once again, but not without a little help from some friends. Is it enough to save humanity? Post FFXIII-2, spoilers. Lightning Returns: FINAL FANTASY XIII rendition.
1. Prologue: Lightning Returns

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Lightning's legend lives on…in an eternity of darkness, one last hope for humanity still shines strong and clear. Please take the time to review, as I'm very happy with how this story came out, and I'm wondering if you think something like this will occur as the intro to LR:FFXIII. So, review! An beware of **spoilers **for FFXIII and XIII-2!

**Song/BGM: **"**Angel Advent A**" (_Bayonetta_ OST)…I very much urge you to type this up in YouTube to experience this chapter at its fullest…really. **For your sake.**

Write on,

**WriteFF13**

* * *

**.:A STORM GATHERS:.**

_Chapter 1 – Prologue: Lightning Returns_

In the midst of the waves of chaos, in an eternity of darkness, there is light.

It is faint, but in the darkness of the world, it is a beacon of hope that stands as the last hope for humanity. Chaos swirls around the planet that was overcome by evil, lurking into every nook and cranny, finding and destroying any last trace of evidence that a civilization once thrived…it crushes light, suffocates it, until not even the sun can shine through.

However, there is one glimmer of light that shines through the darkness. It is dim, but it present nonetheless. Amidst the Chaos is a crystalline throne glimmering softly, the edges of its crystal structure growing dim and darkening. Atop the throne is a figure, so still and lifeless it would seem she were dead. But she is not dead, no…but crystallized in an eternal state of sleep.

A hard shell of crystal coats her body; trapping it in a fragile state until she one day awakens again. The figure was once one of the greatest warriors of our time, a human woman so powerful that she nearly surpassed the gods themselves. It would so be it that no man or monster could strike her down; even the great Guardian of Time failed to end her life.

The woman's eyes are closed as if she is in a deep sleep; her head has fallen to the side and a crystal tear remains static on her cheek. The tear was shed for someone, a girl whose life was lost in the battle to determine the fate of time itself. An intricate blade balances on her knees, held steady by unmovable hands; the hands that once struck down the gods and the Guardian of time, the one who dared to raise his weapon against _her._

It is because of that girl that the crystal figure has chosen this path; her sister's memories must be preserved, and only the way to do so is to preserve them within herself. The woman's greatest fear is that the memory of her sister will be forgotten as hers once was.

She cannot let that happen.

All that she and her sister have ever worked for must be remembered, or all they have done will be for naught. The sacrifices that were made, the lives that were lost, the battles that were fought…

They _must _be remembered.

* * *

From the depths of the chaos and the eternal darkness, a new world begins to form, sparking new contradictions and rewriting the past and setting the clock for the future. A spectacular feat occurs; the awakening of two beings will ultimately decide the future of the world. The chaos begins to retreat into the corners, unfurling away from this new land as new beings and past beings converge. Yet the chaos's retreat is ephemeral…where there is darkness, there will always be the chaos lurking.

A new world is born from the very depths of the chaos itself, a land beyond time and reality itself, different Valhalla, yet a mirage of both Valhalla, the Unseen Realm, and the mortal realm. A land born from the victories and losses of countless people along the timeline; this world was destined to be created from the moment Mwynn herself was thrown into the Unseen World and the future set in motion. Nothing that could have been different would have changed the moment this new world would be created...

This world is _Novus Partus_, and it is a contradiction in itself…

The offspring of countless decisions and battles from the past have collided to create a new future. But how much has been saved? Can the world still exist in tumult?

And so, the chaos lurks back into the shadowy crevices of the world once again, yet it is ever present; a looming threat over the new world in which all people shall reside. The remnants of Pulse's scarred face and Etro's broken Valhalla have collided to form a new chance for humanity…it is something to look up to, something to invest hope in. "Novus Partus"…the only hope left for humanity's survival depends on the existence of this world…and lies in the hands of a single person.

* * *

As the chaos clears from the shrine in which the woman's crystal resides, a shiver runs through the entire length of her, starting from the top of her motionless head to her crossed feet. Her body ripples, and the air in Etro's shrine grows warmer than the chilling cold it had once been; cracks form in the crystal figure, and the glimmering coat that covers the woman begins to glow a vibrant pink until a blast of light engulfs the area around the crystal throne. The sudden movement and light causes a tremor to run through the shrine, but as the light fades another chance for humanity's survival appears.

The future existence of humanity once again lies in the hands of Lightning Farron.

* * *

Lightning Farron has not witnessed the dawn of a new day for over five hundred years.

Her body, lifeless and crystallized for all of eternity in a shell of frozen memories…her sister's memories, and the memories of her friends are forever trapped in the shell of her crystal. Atop Etro's throne, she knows only eternal sleep; it is difficult for her to even remember what sort of life she has led. Only one thing remains…

She can remember her sister's face, the intelligent blue of her eyes shining behind her soft pink bangs. How those blue orbs were dimmed by the curse of the Eyes of Etro, ever watchful of the timeline and the very death sentence that ended Serah's life. These thoughts muddle Lightning's brain, but in crystal, thoughts are questioned as a reality.

A mirage.

Are they real?

Or is this another dream?

Through the crystal, the world's image is distorted. Only until the very fragments of the crystal shatter on the ground will reality's mirage be revealed…what is real and what is a fantasy.

It is these thoughts Lightning has dwelled on for hundreds of years.

She once thought that eternal crystallization was her fate, what was necessary to carry on what was once cherished. Yet now she knows…

She must fight on.

For her sister, for the world, and for the future.

The eerie silence of Etro's shrine is pierced by the sound of cracking crystal encasing the warrior; it seems to fall in slow motion, slicing through the air until it shatters into a million fragments on the stone floor. The place on Lightning's body where the crystal peeled off from glows blindingly white until the entire shrine is enveloped in white. A spider web of cracks coats her body, filling the shrine with the sound of shattering glass.

Crystal shards break off and shatter until the floor is coated with diamond-like pieces. An unknown force lifts the glowing body from the throne and sets her gently on the floor beneath; the crystal does not cut her skin on the glittering stone. Instead, the thousands of fragments lying around her begin to converge and race across the floor towards the sleeping figure, trailing patterns and whirls of light across her skin.

As the light begins to dim, the crystals have disappeared from the floor to form the armor she once donned so long ago, hardening into steely gray plates and spiked elbows and knees. Her shield winks into existence, the crystals swirling in a circular motion until her left arm is covered by a metal unseen in the mortal realm.

The feathers that once adorned her hip take form again, feather by feather, pearl-white with pale pink touching the edges just slightly. Little lights sparkle in the air, just like in the village of Oerba she had visited with her companions on a journey to defy the gods.

The stone floor of the shrine is cold to the touch, yet it feels a million degrees warmer than the lonely cold of the crystal. In its grasp, she knew nothing but a never-ending chill; whether it was a solidified form of her own fears encased around her, she didn't know. In the crystal, her thoughts were muddled, the second she broke free from the shell she remembered so many things in vivid detail: her twenty-first birthday, Serah's look of pain as she dashed out of their house, Snow's pledge to protect Serah as they were stranded at the bottom of Lake Bresha, Hope's fiery determination to carry out Operation Nora…but most of all, she remembered one thing from the past 521 years…

Serah's smile after the fall of Cocoon.

In that moment as the two sisters embraced, Lightning realized that everything she had accomplished during their battles, the pain, the wounds…everything was worth it to see her smile once again. In her unconscious state, Lightning's hand twitched slightly, and then a noise, even as soft as it was, pierced through the foggy state of her mind, reaching her ears.

It was a soft pound of footsteps on the ground, making their way quickly towards her. Even that sound, as soft as it was, made Lightning's head scream in agony. She hadn't hear any type of sound in so, so long…or what the breeze felt like while wading through waist-high grass on the Archylte Steppe…the resonating slice as her blade forged a wound in her enemy, the squeal of terror…and vaguely, she thought of her sister's voice…

Was it soft?

Kind?

She can't remember.

The footsteps drew nearer until they ceased altogether. Too exhausted to move, Lightning simply lay in a limp heap, awaiting whatever came next. Slowly but surely, fragments of her memories were gathering, forming her past until she began to make sense of it, remembering every word spoken by her companions on her journey…

Yes…that was it. She remembered their names…

Snow, Sazh, Fang, Vanille, and Hope.

In an instant, she remembers their faces, their voices, everything. So many memories flood through her brain, wavelengths of information bursting forth.

As the crystal settled on the stone floor, she felt something.

A strange tugging sensation on her shoulder…in the misted depths of her mind, she could feel a soft leather glove grazing her cheek until something firm, a hand maybe, shook her shoulder gently. Her armor rattled slightly in response, but she had neither the strength nor will to respond.

_Open… _

She felt herself being turned on her back, her face fully exposed to this new world in which she had arrived in as the oldest survivor, bound eternally in crystal. She wanted to rip the barriers of her mind that kept her from opening her eyes and witnessing this new reality…like a wall sturdily built to separate herself from the world, from this person who had found her in the very depth of the chaos.

_Break free… _

A voice reaches her ears…she recognizes it, but the memory is hazy.

"Lightning…?"

_Don't stop now… _

Invisible vectors slashed at the invisible barrier in her mind, chipping away, her inward voice screamed in defiance. Memories were pieced together instantaneously in seconds…feeling spread through her body until she was aware of the temperature of the room…bitter chill, yet she felt little to no warmth in her own body. She wondered if the crystal she slept in had caused the shrine to transform into an icy cage in which she was entrapped for centuries.

"Oh no…no, no, no…wake up, Lightning!"

_Wh-who are you…? _

She wanted to say, but her thoughts were her own. She recognized the speaker's voice from some other time, some other dimension, and so painfully close to remembering.

The barrier fell in shards as she crashed through.

Five centuries of memories…it all came to her, overwhelming and nearly killing her in an instant. No mortal before her had lived for so long…had harbored the same memories for eternity in a state of immobile crystal.

A breath tore through her until her chest heaved in rhythm with the steady pulse of blood flowing swiftly through her veins.

Someone shook her shoulders again, lightly bouncing her head back and forth.

_"Goddamnit, Lightning…open your eyes!" _

And they do.

Crystalline blue, the same color as the crystallized waves that had been frozen in Lake Bresha, now simply shards only seen by the breath of wind itself…deep blue eyes that have not seen the light of day for over five hundred years…opened.

And then she sees him.

The words form tentatively on her lips, and for a second, she's not sure she can even say his name…

"Hope."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Whew. That was tough to write. Not so much present-tense, since I have a knack for it, but just writing the perfect amount of detail to explain something so extraordinary as Lightning awakening from the crystal in _Lightning Returns: FINAL FANTASY XIII, _the third and final installment to the FFXIII series (if you're interested, visit my fansite for all FF fans here: .

Of course, not everything in this chapter might be accurate since very little is known about LR:FFXIII, but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless. It'll be awhile until chapter 2 is up, but check out my _Worlds Collide _story (FFXIIIxFFVII story…no pairing!) while ya wait. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you thought in a review!

-**WriteFF13**


	2. The Gathering Storm

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Chapter 2 of _A Storm Gathers, _the *possible* future sequel to my _Worlds Collide _story and a record of the events that will take place in _Lightning Returns: FINAL FANTASY XIII. _As always, no pairings (sorry!), angst, drama, etc. in this story. After all, with 13 days left to save the world, there isn't time to mess around…

As always, reviews are love! I'm curious to hear what you think of the story and LR:FFXIII. Take my advice and _listen to the BGMs!_

Write on,

**WriteFF13**

* * *

**.:A STORM GATHERS:. **

_Chapter 2 – The Gathering Storm _

The sudden realization that she wasn't alone in the world hit her like a blast of icy wind, nearly knocking her unconscious for another eternity or so.

Her mind reeling, Lightning simply stared at the boy – no, man – that kneeled beside her, the only sign of life she'd seen in over half a millennium. She remembered his name as clear as day, their battle together from centuries ago flashes through her mind; frames of the Gapra Whitewood, his innocent face peering up at her as she told him to abandon her in order to save himself…

He speaks again.

"You told me once you wouldn't abandon me…now I'm returning the favor," he said, leaning backwards now that he's sure Lightning Farron wouldn't faint from shock.

"Hope Estheim."

It was all she could say.

"Light."

Lightning shook her head, incredulous. After all this time, Hope had somehow survived the chaotic change of the world and now _he _was by her side, a companion yet again. The thought was comforting, but also extremely disturbing given the situation of the world. It wasn't the mortal realm _or _Valhalla anymore; it was a mix between the two, a combination of their fal'Cie, people, history…

Lightning sat up, holding her head in case it might suddenly fall apart in shards (she wouldn't be surprised if it did). Hope stands, looking around Etro's shrine as if seeing it for the first time.

"I don't remember coming here," he murmured, but she wasn't listening.

She glanced at the grown boy through her fingers, amazed at the transformation he had gone through since she had known him as a fourteen-year-old boy who had lost his mother. Now, he was taller than her and his eyes held a curiously intelligent glint in their blue orbs. Even the slightest changes made all the difference in the world to her, now that she was free from an eternity of sleep. Even when she witnessed the slight three-year difference in Serah during her battle with Caius, she had been taken aback. The world had moved forward as she remained in a realm beyond time. She dipped her head again, rubbing her temples.

_I feel old… _

Hope offered a hand; she accepted and pushed off from the ground shakily. For once, she felt weak and vulnerable, a feeling she didn't like at all. It gave her reassurance that Hope was at her side once again, even if it meant danger for him.

"Where are we, anyways?" Hope asked to no one in particular, holding a steadying hand on Lightning's shoulder pauldron which still continued to glint despite being made from crystal. A settling breeze wound through the shrine, causing the gossamer velvet curtains outside of the shrine to billow softly.

The two made their way out of the shrine and onto a rocky bluff, the sound of waves crashing against the shore reached their ears. Lightning breathed in the salty air, taking her first step outside of the shrine in five centuries.

A sharp pain plunged through her skull like a serrated knife dipped into fire, cutting of her train of thought until she fell to one knee, pressing both hands against her chest as if trying to dig through her skin. A scream threatened to escape her lips but she gritted her teeth, fighting the pain that racked her body, centered around one thing.

Hope fell to the ground beside her, shouting her name but remaining relatively calm. The scene taking place before him was reminiscent of an event that occurred many eons ago, in the dilapidated trash heap of the Vile Peaks. Then, Lightning's Eidolon had been summoned forth by her frustration; her l'Cie brand alit with a pink light. Now, something similar was happening, but instead of a l'Cie brand, an oval shape gleamed with a violent scarlet aura in the same placement as her l'Cie brand. The top and bottom of the oval smoothed into points to form a shape that had haunted Hope's mind days after the world was overcome by chaos.

Vaguely, he remembered the same shape appearing in the darkened sky, watching as Noel Kreiss held Lightning's sister close and Mog fall, unable to do anything, hopeless to stop the sudden wave of chaos that burst forth from the enormous Etro's gate. In seconds, chaos had poured into the mortal realm from Valhalla to entrap all in its dark embrace.

He had stood his ground atop Sazh's airship until the chaos tossed him into the abyss.

After that he knew nothing more.

Now he was seeing it again, glowing vibrantly and engraved in Lightning Farron.

* * *

**["The Goddess Is Dead" – FFXIII-2 OST]**

Red, red, red.

It was all she knew as an unknown symbol exploded on her chest, sending distress signals to her brain and causing her body to cease proper functioning. She fell to her knees, fighting whatever invading force dare try to take control of her mind, but it was useless. It was like the chaos…there was nothing to fight it with.

Faintly she heard Hope's voice shouting her name and shaking her, but she was stuck in a force field of pain, victim to a raspy voice whispering meaningless nothings into her mind. There's recognition to be found in the strange voice, and the realization comes to her in an instant, nearly staggering her to unconsciousness as her concentration lapsed.

_A woman's frail, kind song… _

_ The deceitful hiss of a viper's lies… _

_ And the child's mix of genderbent breaths… _

She chanted them out, one after the other, over and over again until the sound of their names was engraved in her brain.

_"Etro, the Goddess of Death…Lindzei, the traitor to Pulse…and Orphan, the child _she _had cut down!" _

The words were not her own, but she was an interpreter, a puppet to be sucked of all life until its use is needed no more, and she obeyed with no energy left to resist.

_"The chaos has once again wreaked havoc upon the world. What was once found is now lost again…only _she _has the means to begin the search for it." _

The voices began to fade, but instead of cringing away, Lightning reached out to them, hanging on to their last echo.

_"The end of the new beginning has already begun."_

* * *

"Lightning!"

She sat up with a start, jackknifing into a sitting position, heart pounding wildly. For the second time that day, she found herself unconscious. Hope kneeled nearby, his face pale and a distracted gaze clouding his vision.

"What the hell just happened?" Lightning muttered, exasperated.

"You…fainted."

He decided to take the easy way out and sort out his thoughts later. Right now, they needed to find another sign of life in this barren world.

The young woman donned in armor peered closely at him, sensing that he wasn't revealing everything. Nonetheless, she felt weak and her head still ached from the sudden intrusion of voices. She pushed her thoughts aside and focused on the immediate problem:

Where _were _they?

"Come on. We need to get out of here." Lightning regained her composure and set off determinedly down the rocky hillside, focused on reaching civilization. Hope followed silently, experiencing a strange sense of déjà vu. Once again, Lightning was the leader and he was following in her wake, trusting her instincts and experience. Yet he also felt uneasy...uneasy because he was unable to truly help Lightning. There was something else going on that she wasn't telling him, that much was certain. However, in their current situation, he didn't think it was the best option to bring it up. Once they found help, well...he'd figure it out.

* * *

Lightning cast a look overhead at the sky, which had begun to darken and flash with lightning, evidence of a gathering storm. Below them, the rocks surrounding Etro's shrine gave way to an outcrop that lead down to what looked to be a desert, but mist distorted their view. Her strength was slowly coming back to her, though she didn't feel the familiar hum of magic in her veins like she usually did…or rather, how she _used _to feel centuries ago. Hope caught up to her, and it was an almost comical view of the two walking side by side: a young woman with pale pink hair in the armor of a goddess and a silver-haired man donned in bright blues, yellows, and white.

It was a stark contrast to the palette of the world around them; bleak, unforgiveable, and dangerous. Even Etro's shrine had long since lost the vibrant, green clockwork rings that had sat atop the pinnacle, chiming off the hours for a realm that knew no time.

As they set off, a humorous thought sparked in Lightning's mind.

"Say, Hope…how old are you now?"

Hope blinked in surprise. "Twenty-four. Or at least, five hundred twenty-four; I'm not really sure anymore."

"The same age as me, huh? I guess time traveling will do that to you," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

The last time they had fought as a duo, Lightning was in a journey to defy the gods and save her sister; Hope was trying to exact revenge on Snow… but both had been led into battle by the deceiving fal'Cie. Now, they were older and maybe the only two left alive.

Hope raised his eyebrows in surprise; he hadn't thought of it that way. The very thought that he was now the same age as Lightning, someone who had stood in as a mother for him when his own mother had been ripped from his grasp, made him laugh.

"Well…this might be a little awkward."

* * *

**["Blue Soul" – FFType-0 OST]**

The fog that Lightning had caught a glimpse of earlier rolled in thick and heavy, coating the ground beneath their feet in a near-solid blanket, only impenetrable as they stepped through. After making their way down a strange rocky cliffside, they stopped to rest at the base of a huge boulder that had split from a huge overhang and laid to rest on the ground below; they leaned against it for support. Lightning had regained her strength, but her mind was still shaky after the strange visions that had flashed through her mind so fast, she hadn't caught even a second of them. Still, she was set on immediate survival.

Hope looked at her, eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you okay so far, Light?"

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Since when did you become the adult?" she joked, but it didn't reach her eyes.

Hope turned away from her, shielding his eyes and squinting, trying to see through the thick wall of fog. "I think we're almost there."

_Where is "there?"_

"Right." She stood and walked to his side, surveying what little land they could see. As far as she was concerned, she was in enemy territory, and until they learned where they were and who was on their side, she was on high alert with an itchy trigger finger to boot.

"What's the plan? There might be monsters around here that were distorted by the chaos…who knows what's waiting for us?"

A small smile tugged the edges of Lightning's lips up. She began walking determinedly into the mist, blue eyes sparkling.

"Charge in, guns blazing."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Once again, this is _**not **_a HopexLight pairing! I just write them in-character, that's all with no hints of romance, yada yada yada! I hope you enjoyed my early rendition of _Lightning Returns: FINAL FANTASY XIII_, and let me know what you thought of the mysterious voices of Etro, Orphan, and Lindzei, as well as how Lightning and Hope interacted! **Reviews **make me happy!

-**WriteFF13**


	3. The Side of Darkness

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **And so we begin the third chapter of _A Storm Gathers. _This story is basically my theories of _Lightning Returns: FINAL FANTASY XIII_, and I'm curious to see what you think of how things are coming along so far. Tell me in a **review! **

This story will begin to diverge from LR:FFXIII because I'd like to progress it before the game comes out, and so I'll be creating a lot of different events and OCs that don't necessarily follow the actual plot. Nonetheless, I think you'll enjoy my rendition as I introduce Noel, Lumina, Hope, Snow, and others!

"You should know who I am…or should I say, _what_ I am."

Write on,

**WriteFF13**

* * *

**.:A STORM GATHERS:. **

_Chapter 3 – The Side of Darkness_

**["Prologue – To the Ancient Land" – **_**Shadow of the Colossus**_** OST]**

"How much further?"

Hope, from his position atop a cluster of boulders, had a fairly good view of their surroundings above the blanket of fog that had rolled in around the base of the shrine's cliff side. "Not far. There's the desert from earlier, and buildings…only a few minutes and we'll be on the outskirts."

"Buildings…?"

_How long was I asleep? _

Hope turned away from the view and slid down the unstable rocks, running to a stop at the bottom in front of her. They had found a peculiar dead tree to rest at; although it was routed deep in the rocks, the tree looked neither dead _or _alive. It was simply…there. A white coating covered the bark and extended to its branches, which held no leaves at all and instead sharpened to a point. At its base was Lightning, who had leaned against the trunk for support.

Hope noticed she had closed her eyes; her face held an almost peaceful expression instead of the usual stoic yet gentle face he remembered from so long ago.

Hope sighed and peered once again through the fog. He thought he could see the outline of the buildings just at the edge of the fog, but it could have been his imagination. Either way, the faster they found someone, the faster he could figure out what was going on.

And then there was Lightning, who was weak again after their hike through boulders, thorns, and the fog. He didn't want to push her, but he also knew she had a reputation to uphold, and that was important to her. She hated being this vulnerable; he knew she was having trouble accepting the fact that Hope was going to have to lead the way.

It worried Hope.

Why hadn't her strength returned tenfold by now? Surely after her sleep in the crystal she would have regained her previous powers and gained even more incredible powers?

It was decided, then.

"Why don't we camp out tonight and head over in the morning?" Hope suggested as her eyes snapped open.

She nodded her assent and straightened.

"Sounds like a plan."

Hope scratched his head and looked around, realizing just where they would be spending the night – cold, hard, sharp rocks protruded from the ground everywhere and the only piece of land that didn't present a hazard was the base of the tree, where the roots intertwined together to create a semi-comfortable resting place. Lightning immediately sat down and began peeling her gloves off, flexing her fingers as they met the cool night air.

Hope walked towards the tree and placed himself underneath a thick branch, bending his knees before jumping up and snatching a thick branch; he snapped it and bits of white bark fell to the ground.

Lightning looked at him in confusion. "What are you doing?"

The previous Academy director snapped the branch into smaller pieces and crouched in front of her, making a pyramid of the twigs.

"It's going to get cold tonight and if we're going to stay here, we'll need warmth. The fog is heavy enough so no one can see the light," he explained, wiping his gloves off on his grey pants.

"Right. Good thinking."

It was good to see Hope take charge in situations like this.

To her surprise he cupped his hands over the pile of twigs, his hands glowing slightly with orange and yellow until a fire burst from his palm and into the center of the pile, igniting a small but adequate fire. It cast immediate warmth and light over the two, throwing their shadows behind them as the night crept upon them.

Lightning waved her hands in front of the fire, reveling in the sudden warmth that crackled and popped, sending sparks into the air. She watched them explode into little lights, imagining them as fireflies for a brief moment before inwardly scoffing at herself.

"So when did you gain your powers back?" she asked, snapping out of her reverie.

With the fire between them, Hope sat with his back to the boulders.

"Once a l'Cie, always a l'Cie."

"Sazh?"

"He became a pilot and that was the last I saw of him until your sister's battle against Caius. He traveled with Dajh a lot after you disappeared, and we all sort of went our separate ways," he said with a slight sad undertone.

_Serah… _

"It's a mere shadow of your former powers, isn't it?" she guessed, gazing at him.

He looked up at her sharply.

"Yes…I feel vulnerable. Ever since Cocoon fell, I've always felt like there was something missing…"

"Alexander."

"I do wish Alexander was at my side now, but…there's nothing we can do about it now. I'm not a l'Cie anymore," Hope said.

"I'm not a l'Cie, and I still wield Odin. It isn't impossible…you should know that by now," she said softly.

"What are you, then?" Hope asked bluntly, catching her off guard.

She turned her gaze away from him and back to the fire, as if searching for the answer in its embers.

"I don't know, Hope… I don't know."

* * *

**["Hope's Theme" – FFXIII-2 OST]**

Their conversation drifted to Hope's studies during the ten years that he was the Academy director. He told her about the Oracle, the device that recorded all visions that the seeress of the City of Paddra – Yeul – had seen. He explained how it worked and how he had managed to find a team to help him restore it back to its original condition.

"Through the Oracle we watched your battle in Valhalla against Caius. It was what gave your sister even more reason to keep searching for you," he said.

And then there was the Academy, founded by Hope Estheim himself when he was barely out of his teens and graduating college. He rose quickly in the ranks of his own organization until he was elected the director, gaining respect and admiration from the new citizens of both Academia, the City of the Academy and residents of other towns on Pulse. He told her about Alyssa, the girl who seemed to be a promising advisory side-kick when she agreed to enter the time travel device that sent them five hundred years into the future of Academia.

"Up until we met with Serah and Noel again, I was developing the Ark; our safe haven for when Cocoon finally fell. And then…well, you know all the rest."

_Serah died in Noel's arms. _

_ I fought on in Valhalla, feeling the growing pain in my own heart. I pushed it away and focused on Caius until I defeated him. That's when I met with Serah for the last time… _

"Why don't you get some rest? I'll take first watch," Hope offered to change the subject.

"You sure you can handle it?"

The sides of Hope's mouth inched into a smile. "I'm pretty confident. I'll wake you in a few hours or if something's wrong."

"Night."

"Night."

She lay on her side with her back facing the fire, eyes closed. Hope took that as the signal to lay his own boomerang by his side and folded his arms over his knees, watching the darkness around them. She folded an arm under her head.

She breathed out deeply.

* * *

**["Sign of the Colossus" – **_**Shadow of the Colossus **_**OST] **

The night wore on past midnight, and Hope still kept watch.

Lightning had told him to wake her after a few hours, but he figured she needed the sleep much more than him. It also gave him time to sort out his thoughts and lay out a plan for tomorrow…eventually, he was going to have to approach her and broach the subject of what had happened on the cliff side outside the shrine. It alarmed Hope, and quite frankly he didn't care about Lightning's pride anymore as long as she was safe. After her abrupt disappearance from Pulse the day Cocoon fell, Hope seemed to be under the same notion as the rest of the group – minus Serah – that Lightning was crystallized with Vanille and Fang in the pillar…later he had spent many sleepless nights mulling over his thoughts, ashamed that he had given up on searching for Lightning so quickly. How had he resigned to the fact that she had just sacrificed everything to hold up Cocoon?

As the years passed he eventually grew into the director of Academia, and resigned himself to making the world a better place for survivors of the Fall and Vanille and Fang, who were still entrapped in the crystal. As he spent his days studying the Oracle and designing the Ark, his thoughts wandered to his mother, and Lightning, too, trapped forever in a realm beyond time, stuck in a cycle of battle against the Guardian of Time.

She didn't deserve that, he had thought. Just like Mom.

The Oracle gave him the reassurance that at least Lightning was indeed alive and more importantly, protecting Valhalla with an iron fist. Caius never once defeated her in the visions he witnessed in the Oracle.

It all came back to what had happened to Lightning up at the shrine. Only minutes before she broke the shell of her crystal, he vaguely remembered sitting in the far corner of the shrine, eyes glazed over and his body unmoving. Whether by the sheer force of her awakening or his own will to wake up from his stupor, he didn't know.

_I'm just glad it was I who found her and not someone, or something, that did instead. _

Hope rubbed his tired eyes and sat straighter; rolling his shoulder blades, then slumped forward again. The fire had died down to just glowing embers, allowing Hope to finally see through the black night now that the fog had cleared. Looking out behind the white tree and to the horizon, he could make out yellow lights dotting the landscape somewhere in the distance. The longer he stared the blurrier the lights became.

Hope shook his head, trying to shake the exhaustion from his body.

Sleep was an appealing prospect at the moment, but he couldn't afford to leave their backs open for enemies to walk in and find them unprepared.

_Focus on one thing, and shut out everything else. _

Centuries later and Lightning's words still rang loud and true in his ears. It was a principle he lived by now; whatever obstacle came, he focused on it until he succeeded, shutting out anything to prevent him from reaching his goals. He did the same thing now, shutting out his exhaustion and focusing on the question that burned brightly in his mind:

Who was Lightning?

Of course, the mechanical answer would have been something along the lines of "Lightning Farron, former sergeant of the Guardian Corps Bodhum Security Regiment. Close friend from the war against Cocoon's fal'Cie before the Fall of Cocoon."

During the battle against Caius and Serah and Noel's race to correct the timeline, he would have described her as Etro's guardian, the strongest mortal and one of the very few to have survived an encounter with Caius Ballad, the Guardian of Time. She was devoted to Valhalla, serving under Etro and blocking any attack on the goddess using whatever means necessary.

Five hundred years later, he wasn't so sure who she was anymore.

Sure, he felt the Lightning he knew – Light – standing next to him; the same no-nonsense voice, the same eyes…yes, it was Lightning Farron in form. But in her heart, her brain…he wasn't so sure. The Lightning he knew wouldn't whisper the names of Etro, Lindzei, and Orphan the way she did; the strange chanting that had erupted from her mouth, devoid of all emotion. It was like some sort of demonic ritual following the sudden burst of light coming from the insignia that alighted on her chest. Etro's Gate.

_It was like she was being possessed, and then that symbol, Etro's Gate…the same symbol I saw the day the world was thrown into chaos appeared on Light… _

There was a reason for it, obviously. It just wasn't quite clear to Hope yet. But he swore he'd find the answer, to save Lightning _and _himself. Perhaps the strange ritual that took place a few hours before they stopped was just a side effect from waking up after a five hundred year slumber, but either way, the things that were happening to Lightning weren't normal, that was for damn sure.

Tiredly he raised a hand over the fire and let loose a small burst of flame, tucking new branches from a pile into the glowing embers. Warmth emanated once more even if the light was a little bright for Hope's comfort at this time of night.

_I'll just rest my eyes for a few minutes… _

A moment later he slumped to the ground, fast asleep and drowning in dreams of a world where darkness did not exist.

His mother Nora, along with Bartholomew were standing on a beach looking out to him, waving their hands with warm smiles on their faces. There was the entire gang, too, splashing around the beach and making a huge ruckus. Snow, Sazh, Serah, Dajh, Vanille, and Fang…they were all there. Only light ruled. The chaos didn't exist, and only happier days existed in the future and past.

Suddenly everyone standing on the beach faded to dust, whisked away by the wind. Hope reached out to them, but lowered his hand in shock.

His dream ended as a sound high-pitched and grating to the ears jolted him from his sleep. The dream fell away in shards, stored for future thought. But he wouldn't forget what he had seen…or what he had _almost _caught a glimpse of.

* * *

**["Boldan – Silver City" – **_**Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando **_**OST]**

The boulder he had been leaning against before he fell asleep rattled and shook dangerously as Hope's eyes snapped open; he sat up and rubbed his eyes of lingering sleep quickly and looked around, widening his eyes in shock.

In a half-moon on the opposite side of the collection of boulders and the white tree, six pairs of steadily gleaming eye sockets stared out of shadowy figures. They were black in color and seemed to be made of obsidian dust, but the darkness of their bodies formed into a wolf-like body. A shadowy tail protruded from the backend while paws were recognizable enough with no fur to aid Hope's guess. The snout in between the white eyes only confirmed his guess. They crouched as if ready to spring at any moment and each made individual snapping noises; their black mouths opened and closed, giving him a brief glimpse into an abyss of darkness down their throats. Their threatening growls and obnoxious snorting sent a shudder down Hope's back.

He jumped to his feet immediately and snapped open his boomerang, lifting his arm high. He glanced to his side as the corner of his eye saw something pink and bright.

It was Lightning; her body had caused the tremendous shaking; her body was lying at the foot of the boulders, a small cut on her forearm, splitting the black sleeve she wore underneath her armor.

Keeping an eye on the wild shadows, Hope knelt beside her and was relieved to find her conscious, a familiar fire alit in her eyes. She was alive, and she was angry. That was enough for him to know that she was fine.

"What happened to your watch?" she said through gritted teeth, climbing to her feet.

Hope placed a hand on her elbow to help steady her, then faced the shadowy enemies surrounding them. He flushed in embarrassment.

"I fell asleep."

"No use talking about it now, I suppose. Let's get rid of these things before morning light reveals us," she snapped, and immediately sprung into action, foregoing her sword for her bare hands.

Hope, slightly shocked by her sudden movement, took a second to react until he finally flung his boomerang, closing his fist to direct its return trip by slicing through a shadow closest to him. Immediately upon impact, the ashy creature disintegrated into dust-like particles and scattered in the air. The boomerang, crackling with sparks and vibrating slightly, sailed into the palm of his hand just in time to strike an approaching shadow.

Remnants of its figure remained as a disfigured blotch staggered forward, still intent on doing damage. Hope raised his hand to unleash a ball of fire when he spotted something dark out of his eye. It was too late. A shadow had leaped into the air, its jaws open and gaping mouth aiming for his throat. The boomerang was too slow. Ultimately, Hope's reactions were too slow. For a brief moment, Hope wondered what was down the throat as its abysmal mouth filled his vision.

When he didn't feel the jaws of death around his throat, Hope opened his eyes to see a metallic boot soar through the air in front of his face, crushing the shadow's face into the rock…he felt the air from the impact as she went by him, her face set and determined. Immediately its eyes separated from its body, free-flowing on the wind. Lightning used the momentum and kicked off the boulder to perform a wide arc behind the other attackers.

Only two were left; one was dispatched by Lightning. A hard dropkick collapsed its head and Hope finished off the last with a hard boomerang throw. Flicking the weapon into its idle position he leaned over and rested on his knees, breathing heavily. The strange particles that formed the shadows had since blown across the flat rock terrain and into the slight haze that seemed to be forever settled upon the land. Neither had a chance to examine the particles before they were gone with the wind.

"Wh – what was that?" Hope panted, glancing up at Lightning.

The woman fully donned in armor stared after the dust clouds, watching as the last traces of the strange darkness escaped from her reach. He couldn't see her face, but her fists were clenched; he noticed she had hardly broken a sweat during the fight. She also never drew her sword…

"Lightning…?"

* * *

**["Threshold" – **_**Journey **_**(game)****OST]**

She turned quickly without a glance and started heading off towards the vague shape of the village. With no other options, Hope scattered the fire as best as he could and caught up with her, putting his boomerang away. He was taken aback by her silence, but couldn't help but feel frustrated as well. How could he help her if she refused to tell him anything?

"Lightning, what is going on? What were those things back there?" he demanded, grabbing her shoulders and turning her around. Just a second ago she had been going full speed, nearly jogging towards the village in silence.

The sudden movement made her jump slightly, though instinct cooled her nerves instantly upon seeing her new companion's face. It was still a revelation to know that she was once again companioned; she wasn't alone anymore. The feeling gave comfort in her bleak situation.

"Light – "

"I don't know, Hope," she snapped, her sharp tongue like a slap in the face. Hope stepped back, slightly taken aback. Her eyes were hard, but he could tell she hadn't truly meant it. She sighed. "I'm sorry…I just…"

Hope looked away, peering towards the desert that lay on the horizon. They were close to entering the village's outskirts, with just a half mile or so of rocky terrain in between them. "I understand, Light. I'm just worried…you don't seem…normal," he confessed, awaiting her reaction.

She froze. That was a dangerous thing to say.

"Things have never _been _normal."

"That's not what I meant."

She was caught dodging a question she knew she couldn't answer. Yet, what was on her mind…she couldn't just _explain _it in just one answer. She was centuries old and yet still twenty-four years old. She had been a l'Cie, cursed by the gods and cast onto the lowerworld. She had been the guardian of a dying entity, forced into an eternal battle against an undying foe. And now…what was she? Hope had asked her before, and she had answered truthfully. She really didn't know. With no guidance, no goal…she was lost.

"Hope, let's just find shelter. I'll tell you everything when I know we have a roof over our heads or at the very least food and water," she breathed tiredly.

He nodded and backed off.

The rest of the trip to the desert village was in silence, pierced only by the occasional dapple of rain drops pattering against Lightning's armor. The battle had sucked the last drop of energy from the warrior goddess as her eyes struggled to stay open. Hope offered help but she refused. She didn't need to be carried around, after all.

The rocks beneath their feet finally gave way to a fine sand, soft and grainy like the beaches of Bodhum when the tide was low and she and Serah could walk along and talk, one of the few moments of relaxation Lightning ever had…

_But that was a long time ago… _

"We made it," Hope announced, snapping her out of her reverie.

They had indeed arrived on the outskirts of a desert oasis tucked into an alcove of sand, spanning only a quarter of a mile, maybe even less. The distinct smell of salt water reached their nostrils as they inhaled fog-less air for the first time since Lightning's awakening – a beach must be nearby…or perhaps this _was _a beach. It was hard to tell.

A long structure looming out of the corner of her eye caught Lightning's attention. She glanced up and strained to see through the fog.

"A bridge…"

"What?" Hope said distractedly. "Oh yeah…I really think we should try and find someone who can help us, Light."

"No, you're right."

She turned away and examined the cluster of buildings half-hidden by tall, thick trees that were of an unknown species to her. They were similar to the seaside palm trees in Bodhum with their heavy leaves that stood strong against the ocean's harsh winds. An overhang of the trees' branches covered a vast portion of a small pond; its reflective surface was perfectly still…Lightning couldn't help but stare as she could make out the distorted figures of Hope and herself. Dark, brown curtains suddenly billowed as a breeze flowed down the sand. The pond's seemingly mirror-like surface was dappled with ripples and the spell was broken. The darkness of the night clouded any other objects from their view past the pond, but there seemed to be a sort of patio on the other side. The woman clad in silver shook her head to clear the frustrating thoughts that bogged her mind.

All at once a bout of dizziness and severe exhaustion overcame her in the form of a wave of pain in her chest. Red blurred the edges of her vision and the world spiraled into a tunnel that wound above her head, circling like a hawk. She desperately reached out for it, but fell forward over the crest of the sandy hill, her feathered waist splayed out.

Suddenly, Hope felt a chill run down his back; the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a sharp chill shook him to his core. He could have sworn the next exhale was a frost of cold breath. He glanced behind him and could hardly keep back a surprised yelp. Three more of the shadowy figures they had faced earlier were creeping out of the fog, their pale eyes never blinking and trained on both of them, eyeing their prey. He was frozen with fear momentarily, but he knew that out of the two of them, he was the strongest at the moment. He turned, automatically reaching for Lightning. Instead of grasping her hand, his hands found nothing but air. With grunt of surprise he glanced quickly all around him, then looked over the side towards the pond, dreading what he knew what he was going to see.

Lightning's figure had fallen over the edge, spraying up sand in his face as she collapsed, her body tumbling towards the pond. The pearl-white feathers attached to her waist were ripped apart and thrown into the air, dust caked them and turned them an ugly brown. A quick look behind him showed that the shadows were feet away from ripping his throat out. There was only one way out…forward.

* * *

**["Alive Inside" – **_**The Walking Dead: The Game **_**OST] **

The next few hours for Lightning Farron were spent in a hazy dream, half-conscious and half-unconscious. A roaring headache plagued her mind the entire time and she could feel nothing below her neck except for a slight tingling in her chest and side, under her ribcage. Her eyes refused to open, but her sense of touch was marred by her inability to feel what was around her. She had the feeling she was under a blanket and definitely in some sort of bed; her head rested comfortably on a pillow.

Faintly she could hear a jumble of words, but she couldn't identify the speaker. She strained her ears, fighting against whatever ailment she had.

_"What's wrong with her?" _

_ "She came in contact with the chaos. Now it's threatening to override her brain activity…basically, taking control of her body." _

_ "What the hell does that mean? Is she going to be okay?" _

_ "I don't know…this has only happened a few times, but all the cases have turned out well . But they were strong-willed to begin with. This woman seems to be the same. If she has the will to live, then she will. We've bandaged it up an extracted the chaos. Rest is all she needs." _

_ "I knew there was something wrong." _

_ "How did this happen? You said earlier that your friend collapsed near the Dead Dunes after coming back…from the shrine? No one has been there for a long time. You people are strangers here." _

_ "It's a long story… _

Her head fell back, falling into another stupor of dreamless sleep.

She was coming closer to consciousness, but a thick fog still remained between the welcoming arms of sleep and stark reality. Nonetheless, she could make out voices. She was now sure Hope was around; his presence could be felt to her right even though her five senses were failing. Her guess was confirmed when the boy – or, young man – spoke, his voice tinged with worry and anger. She wanted to speak with him herself and find out what was going on. She had been through a lot, but being blind to the world was more frightening than any fatal injury she had sustained before.

"Lightning? Are you awake?!"

There was suddenly the sound of shuffling as a weight from the side of the bed lifted near her feet. She suddenly felt the presence of someone looming over her. With a considerable amount of effort she cracked open her eyes, wincing at the amount of moonlight that flooded the room, casting a spotlight through a window at the opposite end of the room. She looked up, surprised to see Hope's anxious eyes looking in to hers. Rubbing her temple, she got a good look at her surroundings.

The room she was currently in had dark wood paneling lining the walls and black floorboards covered in blue and black rugs. The windows were fogged, but Lightning could see the outline of the moon clearly enough. A large wardrobe rest to the left of the bed and a door to the right.

"Ugh..." she groaned, feeling a numbed pain in her side. "I feel like crap."

"Yeah...you fainted back near the pond. You…almost fell in; more of those shadows came after us, but you were heading straight for the water," Hope said, sitting back in relief. He had dark shadows under his eyes, evidence of lack of sleep. Even the bright colors of his Academia uniform paled in comparison to the dark palette of color around the room.

"So that's what happened? I don't remember much, just a lot of pain in my head again…where are we anyway?"

She started to push herself into a sitting position but hissed when she felt a sharp kink in her side, around her ribcage. She was covered in a new loose, soft white shirt, so she gently lifted it to find white gauze wrapped around her chest. Her eyes looked up in confusion.

"What's this? And where's my armor?" she asked.

Hope shook his head. "I didn't know what to do, so I dragged you into that oasis…they had us ride a crazy upside down train into this town…called it…_Luxerion_. After that, they transported you here," he explained.

"Luxerion…"

"Hmm?"

Her eyes glazed over. "_The City of Light_."

His eyebrow arched in surprise. "Yeah…how did you know that?"

She snapped out of her reverie, shaking her head. "I, uh…heard something in my sleep I think..."

"Right…" He trailed off, skeptical. He moved to leave her side and open the door, but she stopped him.

"Where are you going?" asked Lightning.

Hope glanced at her over his shoulder and proceeded to turn the knob.

"To get the two people that saved your life."

Lightning grimaced again, holding her side.

"Well…where are they?"

"They're just out here. They've been waiting for you to wake up."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I know I haven't updated in awhile and I apologize greatly, but since LR:FFXIII news has been few and far between, I didn't want to take any drastic liberties away from the story. That being said, I want to get this fic going before the game comes out, so I'll be making my own story. The ending will be different, story, and a few of my own characters tossed in. Nonetheless, hope you enjoy!

***** Dark Siders are just a placeholder name until I can come up with something better with the physical forms of the chaos that Lightning and Hope fought.

-**WriteFF13**


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